Star Wars has always been a huge part of my life. In 1995, my uncle gifted me (his 5 year old nephew) a series of vintage Star Wars action figures from the 70’s and 80’s. To be honest, I didn’t know what the figures were. I knew they could be thrown across the room and could make them fight. They were space toys so, ya know, that’s cool. Over the years I grew to love Star Wars; it became a passion of mine. Collecting also became a huge part of my life and something that I could share with my family members and friends. My collection has grown rapidly over the last two and a half decades and today the collection overflows in a 5-bedroom house.

In 2015, before “The Force Awakens” was released on the big screen, I decided to pick a “character focus” for the collection. Some collectors select one character from the franchise to focus on. That was never really my thing, because I loved all of Star Wars and didn’t want to limit myself to only certain characters or creatures or ships. While I liked Anakin Skywalker and many other characters, it would take me forever to go back and acquire merchandise for characters that had been on the shelves before I could afford it (not to mention the merch for the characters from the original trilogy that hung on shelves before my parents even knew each other). If I started before the newest trilogy, I could begin my character focus when the merchandise hit shelves on Force Friday. As a completist, I would strive to add every item in a particular set to the collection. But who to choose? After a significant battles within my brain, I finally decided on a character: Rey - the young scavenger from Jakku played by Daisy Ridley. Why her? No idea. The movie wasn’t even out yet.

The Force Friday midnight merchandise drop occurred in the September, 2015 (3 months prior to the film’s release). “The Force Awakens” would be the first live action Star Wars film since Revenge of the Sith in 2005. That’s a decade in between films and now The Mouse would be doing the funding. What was I getting myself into? I would try my best to keep up with collecting the Rey merchandise, but you know how Disney does it. Merchandise. All. The. Merchandise. A completist working on “completing” a Rey collection. Um...May the Force be with me? Historical midnight toy drops were madness. People would run and occasionally climb under or over you for a certain item. It would be chaos.

Force Friday finally came and I was waiting outside my go-to establishment (Toys R Us...may it rest in peace) at 9am with my orange Rebel backpack. My joy was through the roof. What can I say? I get excited about new collecting endeavors. Shortly after returning home with my massive TFA haul, I began to organize it. Figures go in one spot, Funko POPs in another, and who knows where I’m gonna put the giant 4-foot tall First Order Stormtrooper figure. As I layed out the items from my fruitful adventure, I realized….wait. I never got the Rey (Starkiller Base) 3.75 inch figure! I was so excited to begin a Rey focus and when the day came where I’d finally be able to make some headway, I dropped the ball. Sure, I got the Black Series six inch figure and the other Rey related items I needed, but I’m a completist. I’d have to wait until morning to head out again to pick up the figure. If she was still there.

The Rebel backpack holds the #1 spot in line for Force Friday 2015.

Luckily, the figure I needed was dangling on a peg at my local Toys R Us the next morning. Phew. Close one. The Rey collection had begun. As days went on, I began noticing that some people were having trouble finding Rey merchandise. Uh-oh. Would Rey be one of those characters that would be impossible to locate? If so, this was going to be a problem. I took it upon myself to do some extra research. My collection needed to be “next level”.

Rey (Starkiller Base) figure found at Toys R Us the morning after Force Friday 2015.

While some people may disagree with me, if one looked carefully and often, the Rey merchandise was definitely around. Trust me, I was specifically looking for anything and everything I could find. In fact, keeping up financially and adding new items to my mental checklist was proving WAY more difficult than finding it at the stores. Some felt that the Rey representation was lacking. Some fans vocalized that Rey, who would be one of the main characters in the new trilogy, was not represented in merchandise for the new film. While some of that was warranted, most of it was simply untrue. Disney’s biggest blunder was not including Rey in Hasbro’s Monopoly game that featured other key characters from the film like Finn and Kylo Ren. Hasbro promised to re-release the game with a Rey token, but due to the lack of interest they provided a mail away option in 2017 for those who could provide specific information from the side of their Monopoly game (two years after the game’s initial release, but better late than never). In some ways, that was the best route. This way people who had already purchased the game didn’t need to buy another copy just to get Rey.

At one point, a fan went on a rage-fueled excursion to the stores and slapped stickers on Star Wars products that read “#WheresRey”. How could this be? I was finding Rey merchandise everywhere. Admittedly, not every single trip ended successfully, but I would check three or four stores daily. I took it upon myself to photograph Rey merchandise I found at stores during my daily travels through my collecting circuit and posted them on social media. I didn’t mean this as a “ha ha - in your face”, but more of a “if you put in the work, you will find what you seek” thing.

The day finally came. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was here. As I exited the theater with a smile on my face, I couldn’t help but be proud of the character I had chosen for my focus. My first (of sixteen) theatrical viewing was in Florida, and I remember getting a text from my mother congratulating me on selecting a fantastic character. Rey was strong, determined, caring, and her character had that sense of destiny that I love so much in the Star Wars films. She was meant for more than being a starving scavenger in the Jakku desert. Her story was just beginning. The biggest twist was that it was Rey and not Finn who would feel the pull from the Force. In all of the promotional material for Episode VII, it was Finn who was seen carrying and wielding the blue lightsaber. Tricky, tricky, Disney. What would this mean for merchandise? Every single Rey item at this point featured the scavenger and her staff and more often than not, the trusty droid, BB-8.

As you might expect, many of the toy companies re-released the exact same Rey items that fans purchased on Force Friday except this time, the accessories included the iconic, blue lightsaber. Literally the only difference was that added accessory. Who would pay full price for a figure that had one extra weapon included but in every other way was the same as what was released three months prior? Me. Definitely me. The most notable of these re-releases were the Rey (Jakku) & BB-8 six inch Black Series figure, and the Rey & BB-8 Elite Series Disney Die Cast figure. Rey was the only character that was re-released this way.

My thoughts immediately went to how fans would react to the re-released products. Some fans won’t purchase products from something they know nothing about. Now that the movie had been released, Rey merchandise would only grow in popularity. Young boys and girls all over the world would want their very own Rey figures to play with. It was at this point that I discovered a video on YouTube of a mother ranting about how she wasn’t able to find Rey merchandise for her young daughter. She claimed to be a toy collector and was furious. The hashtag “WheresRey” was again a highlight and a demand for change. It surprised me that this was still something people were making a big deal out of.

Not long after the film’s release, a new 3.75 inch, five POA (points of articulation) figure was released. Rey was featured in her Resistance Base outfit from the end of the film. This was the first Rey figure of this size to be released that included the lightsaber as well as an outfit other than her Jakku scavenger fatigues. Word spread amongst the community that this figure would be a difficult one to come across. I took up this challenge.

On top of the hundreds of other pieces of Rey merchandise out there, I knew this new Rey figure was going to top my most wanted list. I kept thinking back to the YouTube lady. How could she still be upset? They just released yet another Rey figure! What did she know that I didn’t? Did I live in some magical place where Rey merchandise grew on trees? I would need to consult with my landscaper.

I set out on my journey to find this supposedly elusive Rey figure. Turns out….not so elusive. Without much difficulty, the new five POA Rey figure had joined the collection. Unfortunately, many fans jumped on the #WheresRey bandwagon. What could I possibly be missing? I wasn’t some casual toy aisle shopper. My collection had a focus. I’d done my research. I knew how much Rey merchandise was being produced. How could I get people to understand the truth? The only thing my 25-year-old brain could come up with was this: Show them. Show them how many of these “elusive” Rey figures you can acquire.

As I think back on it now, it was definitely a childish thing to do. It was completely unnecessary, but I wanted to prove a point. The point being this: After much discussion with my landscaper, it turns out that I don’t live in a magical place where Rey items grow on trees. All you have to do to find them is….*drum roll* …..look for them. Put in the time and effort and you will be rewarded. #WheresRey bandwagonners challenged me to find the figure while out of town in Florida. After four or five stops, I found one. Then I proceeded to buy every single one I came across. Not for money, not to keep them all for myself, but to show people that the most dedicated will enjoy the fruits of our labor.

The final tally was close to fifteen Rey (Resistance Base) figures. It got to the point where I felt like I was needlessly spending money to prove a point, and I began leaving the figures on the pegs. Since then the majority of them have been given away or sold to other fans (at cost).

As you can imagine, the Rey collection has grown incredibly fast. A pile became a corner. A corner became a wall. A wall has now become an entire room. With over 5,000 unique Rey items now making up the collection focus, I couldn’t be more proud of what it’s becoming. Items in the Rey focus come from many countries, including Romania, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

The Rey collection began to take over a wall in the Toy Room.

Being a collector and getting to experience the “thrill of the hunt” is the greatest feeling in the world. Because Rey is a popular main character, Disney made sure that there has not been a shortage of merchandise to be sought after. People always ask me what my favorite items are. To be honest, I always have trouble with that question. I’m sure many collectors would agree that some of the most prized items are the items that are from other countries, items that have great stories behind them, or perhaps items that you had to save up for to acquire.

When I think back to some of my Rey pieces from foreign countries, Japanese pieces stand out as favorites. Japanese Rey merchandise is uniquely produced and honestly can be found many places on U.S. soil if you know where to look. Ebay is always an option, but I enjoy looking at some of the local Japanese marketplaces. In my area, there is a Japanese supermarket called “Mitsuwa” which is where I’ve found a few really unique items produced by Bandai. Having family or friends on the lookout for unique items always helps as well.

Rey merchandise has now been around for five years, which means there hasn’t been a ton of time for me to save up for the larger ticket items. Here’s my advice when it comes to the more expensive pieces: wait. Many large companies will have sales, discount codes, or special deals at some point, and that is when you pounce. On St. Patrick’s Day, Anovos had a sale on all in-stock items. Anovos is a company that produces high-end costume and prop pieces. Fabrics are dyed to match the screen-used colors and many of the pieces include real leather, metal and other materials used in the actual costumes or props from the movie or show. Because of the coupon code, I saved $225 on Rey’s Scavenger costume ensemble - an opportunity too good to pass up. Anovos also produces replicas of the helmet Rey wears in The Force Awakens as she sits down and eats against the fallen AT-AT Imperial Walker. The Jakku (Scavenger) Premium Ensemble retails for $899 and the X-Wing helmet retails for $350. Still on my wish list from Anovos is the Rey Quarterstaff Accessory (which retails for $329 and is currently available for pre-order) and The Last Jedi Crait Rey Ensemble which retails for $2,099.

Sideshow Collectibles is also well-known for their high-end pieces. Sideshow focuses on incredibly detailed statues of various sizes. One of their most popular lines in called “Premium Format”. Premium Format figures are produced in the quarter-scale size featuring detailed likenesses and are painted by hand. Many of the premium format pieces are produced by full teams that work on each collectible (designers, sculptors, painters, etc.) to create one of the highest-end statues on the market today. These collectibles are fragile, and I haven’t opened mine yet, due to not having a safe spot to display it. This piece was limited to 1,200 pieces and retailed for $479.99. There was also an exclusive version that was limited to 500 pieces and included her scavenged X-Wing helmet that attached to her base.

Sideshow Collectibles Rey Premium Format stock photo.

Of course, there are many other companies that produce fantastic high-end Rey statues and figures. Hot Toys has three different versions of Rey in their Movie Masterpiece Series with a fourth slated to release next year. Gentle Giant has a mini bust and premium statues available, Royal Selangor has a collectible statue made completely out of pewter (limited to only 5,000 pieces). This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Another question I am asked is “How do you decide what Rey items to collect?”. Well, the short answer is: I try to get everything as long as it is “Rey Specific”. If Rey is the most prominent character on the piece, I’ll get it. If she’s just pictured in the corner of something, I may pass on it for the Rey focus. Some items (like lightsabers) could be considered Luke’s or Anakin’s or Rey’s, since they all use the same lightsaber. Here’s my rule of thumb - if the saber was marketed as “Rey’s Lightsaber” then it belongs in the Rey focus. If it’s marketed as Anakin’s or Luke’s saber, despite the fact that Rey uses it, it’s not advertised as being hers so I won’t add it to the Rey focus. Obviously, this is a matter of preference and whatever way you’d like to organize your collection is completely up to you!

There are many toy lightsabers produced by Hasbro that were marketed as “Rey’s Lightsaber”; however, with regard to high-end Rey lightsabers, there are three different licensed options: Hasbro’s Force FX Lightsaber, Rey’s Lightsaber (Disney Parks Exclusive), and the Galaxy’s Edge Legacy version of Rey’s Lightsaber that is available at Dok Ondar’s Den of Antiquities. Each one lights up, has realistic sound effects, and is as close as you can get to a real Rey lightsaber. The benefits of one over the other? It comes down to preference, but the Disney Parks Exclusive and the Galaxy’s Edge Legacy sabers have removable blades (blade for the Galaxy’s Edge saber sold separately). eFX Collectibles is currently in the process of producing a nearly exact replica of the Dark Rey lightsaber seen in “The Rise of Skywalker”. The saber will not have blades, but it will be completely aluminum metal, will have the functioning hinge feature (just like the prop from the movie), comes with a hardwood display base, and is limited to only 750 pieces worldwide (I’m currently on a payment plan for it - can’t wait!). Who remembers Rey’s yellow lightsaber from the end of “The Rise of Skywalker”? I’m hoping that will be produced next!

Hasbro is an expert company when it comes to figuring out how to get collectors to continuously spend money on the same item. To be honest, some times it just comes down to packaging variations. In 2017, 2018, and again in 2019, Hasbro released the same Rey figure with three different packages and some collectors (like me) fell into their trap. If I’m not mistaken, they also produced a golden version of Rey (Jedi Training) that was included in a 2-pack with Kylo Ren using the same mold and that was only available at Walmart. You can’t be a completist collector and ignore the differences in packaging, can you? I’ll never know.

Hasbro’s Rey (Jedi Training) figure released three years in a row with different packaging.

Changing the layout of the collection is always a daunting task, but with the Rey focus continuously growing, I needed to move it from a wall in the Toy Room to a room of it’s own. Many items had to be moved around and room name plaques changed, but Rey needed her own space. The Rey collection now overflows in a room of its own, and after days thinking of a title, I settled on: #HeresRey.

Rey is one of the strongest female characters we’ve seen in Star Wars and fans all over will continue to enjoy her character despite the sequel trilogy coming to an end. Never be hesitant to begin or continue a collection. It doesn’t matter if your collection is a shelf, a room, a house, or even a barn like Steve Sansweet’s Rancho Obi-Wan. All that matters is that you enjoy it. For me, one of my favorite things about the collection is sharing it with people who appreciate it. Many people who I’ve shared the collection with aren’t Star Wars fans, but they’ve been able to appreciate the collection and passion nonetheless. In the words of Leia, “Never be afraid of who you are”.

To see more from the Pfeifer-Con Collection, follow the Pfeifer-Con page on Facebook and tune in to The Collector’s Call on MeTV on May 17th.

More items in the #HeresRey Collection: